Safe Area Gorazde

Having long been a fan of political cartoons, I was surprised at how jarring and sometimes unsettling I found Safe Area Gorazde to be. To be perfectly honest, I am not even sure what it was that left me feeling this way. I think it is partly due to the first person narrative, the knowledge that these were similar or identical to the experiences that Joe Sacco had while he was there. The scenes of him sitting around with his new friends were especially touching. I tend to be somewhat skeptical when I see television journalists fraternizing with citizens in war-torn countries; it always seems forced and unnatural to me. However, in Sacco's depiction of the events, you can see a true bond between the reporter and his subjects. In fact, he rarely describes what he is doing as work. For instance on 67.3, when Sacco has finally returned to Gorazde after being delayed in Sarajevo for several weeks, he mentions doing interviews upon his return. Yet this comment is only made in passing, and it is secondary to him passing out lipsticks and letters. The reader understands just how much Sacco missed his new friends, and how distraught he had been over the possibility of not being able to return. I think the illustrations during this episode, especially 66.2, convey this sentiment in a very realistic and emotional manner.

One element of Sacco's story that I found particularly compelling was his sense of guilt over his role as messenger between Gorazde and Sarajevo. While he clearly has no problem delivering notes and packages back and forth between loved ones, I think that it made him more resentful of the fact that the short distance between the two places was so insurmountable for the citizens. He already has it pretty easy, seeing as he has the luxury of being able to return home to America whenever he wants, but the fact that his status as an American makes it easier for him to travel within a foreign land is a frustrating fact for him to deal with.